The present invention relates generally to audio recording and playback devices. More particularly, this invention pertains to recording and playback devices for use in conjunction with musical instruments that are external to the device.
Musicians frequently have a need or desire to record the music that they create on their instruments. In some cases, the recording is made for personal enjoyment. In other circumstances, a recording will be made for more commercial purposes, such as to make a record of a songwriting session, to create a song demo recording, to create a musical instrument track for editing or mixing, or for archival purposes. Generally, musicians who want to record their music while playing an instrument will have to make special arrangements in a recording studio or use amateur tape recording equipment of their own. While in the recording studio, the musician has access to a variety of sophisticated post-production recording, mixing, and editing equipment. In a home recording setting, editing options are usually far more limited. In either case, the musician must plan the recording session in advance including gathering and connecting sophisticated, bulky recording equipment. During the recording session, the musician is often distracted from the actual playing of the instrument because he must use his hands to control the recording equipment and/or to change or reload the recording media. Even if a musician uses a portable cassette or mini-disc recorder for convenience, neither is specifically adapted for connection directly to an instrument such as a guitar. Moreover, existing portable recording devices have limited functionality and versatility in terms of editing and external connectivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,912, issued to Eagen, describes an apparatus for digitally recording music from a guitar. The apparatus also allows the user to replay the digitally recorded music. However, the Eagen device does not allow a user to edit the digitally recorded music or to access selected portions of the digitally recorded music.
Conventional portable recording and playback devices from Sharp Corporation and Diamond, such as the Sharp MD-MT821 and the RIO PMP300, provide the ability to digital record music from compact discs or from the Internet for time periods ranging from 1 hour to 8 hours. They do not provide the ability to edit the recorded music or record for longer periods of time. Moreover, these devices are not adapted for recording music directly from a guitar or other musical instrument.
Thus, there is a need for an audio recording and playback device that may be conveniently carried and operated by a musician to record the music he or she creates with a musical instrument. Preferably, such a device will have both internal storage that can easily be cued and reviewed as well as an interface to an external storage and editing device.
The musical instrument direct recording and playback device of the present invention comprises an input stage including an audio signal format converter having two analog inputs and outputs, an output stage including two digital outputs, a digital signal processor; a control input device; an application software storage device; an application software program, an operating system storage device; an operating system software program, a digital storage device; and a display. The device can connect directly to the output jack of an external musical instrument for purposes of receiving analog audio signals as the instrument is played. On commands entered by a footswitch connected to the device, the device converts the received signals to digital format, compresses the digital signals, and stores and indexes the digital audio signals on an internal mass storage device. On receipt of further commands, the device can retrieve selected portions of the digital signals, decompress the retrieved signals, converts the retrieved signals to analog signals, and output the analog signals as a monaural or stereo audio signal. The device includes an external communications port and interface, such as from a Universal Serial Bus, to a personal computer. This allows the stored digital audio data to be up-loaded for storage and editing and/or new or updated software to be downloaded.